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Bird Seed Craft Tutorial Inspired by "The Pigeon Needs a Bath"

April 12, 2014 by Beeb 26 Comments

Bird Seed Craft

MomStart is working with "The Pigeon" book series to bring you these fun ideas! Compensation and samples provided.

image

The Pigeon really needs a bath! Except, the Pigeon’s not so sure about that. Besides, he took a bath last month! Maybe. It’s going to take some serious convincing to try and get the Pigeon to take the plunge. First in the series, Don’t Let Pigeon Drive the Bus recently celebrated it’s 10th birthday!

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Over the last decade, The Pigeon books have sold millions of copies and enchanted young readers. The books have received numerous starred reviews, have appeared on many "best of" lists, and have even been inducted into the Indies Choice Picture Book Hall of Fame.

As you saw earlier this week, MomStart hosted a super fun "Pigeon Party" in honor of The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems.

 

To help inspire your own Pigeon Party, we wanted to share this fun and easy party favor craft that the whole family can make together.

Pigeon eggs!

These "Pigeon Eggs" hold a bird seed surprise inside, so that the recipient of the party favor can enjoy getting outside and feeding some real, live pigeons after chuckling over that hilarious pigeon scarfing down a hot dog! My parents always had several bird feeders outside our home when I was a child, so I grew up with a love of feeding the birds. I thought this craft would be a fun way to continue that tradition!

What You’ll Need to Get Started:

Bird seed favor supplies

Supplies:

  • Small bag of bird food – 1lb or less
  • Post-It Label Pads in blue & yellow
  • Sandwich bags
  • Bag of 12 plastic Easter eggs
  • Scissors
  • Black felt-tip pen

IMPORTANT NOTE: As always, if you are doing this craft or bird feeding activity with children, parental supervision is required.

Step 1: Fill The Sandwich Bags With Bird Seed

To get started, pay a visit to your local pet shop and pick up some bird seed for your little pigeon friends; ours has a "Dove Mix" that you can pick up for $1.79 per pound.

"Dove Mix"

You’re going to measure this out in 1 tablespoon increments into 12 sandwich baggies.

Bird seed bags

Tuck the bag shut, and fold it in half so that it fits into the plastic egg shell.

Egg filled with bird seed

Step 2: Create Your Pigeon

Now comes the fun part where you can let your inner Picasso Pigeon free! Take your yellow Post-It Label Pad and pull off one sheet. Cut off a small portion of the corner to form a crude triangle.

Cutting the Post-It Label

Creating a beak

Unlike regular Post-It Notes, Post-It Labels have an entirely sticky back, so this will stick easily to the egg to form your pigeon’s beak.

Creating the Pigeon Egg

Next, take your blue Post-It Label and draw your pigeon head. This is essentially 3 circles: One large circle for the head, one medium circle in the center to form the white of the eye, and one small black circle to create the pupil. This is so easy to draw that even my un-crafty bird brain could do it! 😀

Drawing the pigeon

Using the outer line as your guide, cut out the head.

Cutting out the pigeon head

Line up the head over the beak and affix it to the egg.

Affixing the pigeon head

Finished egg

Voilà!

Bird Seed Party Favors Inspired by "The Pigeon Needs a Bath"

These favors are perfect for a Pigeon-inspired party – hand them out to your guests, then go outside and take turns feeding the birdies!

Finished party favors

You might say…this is one party favor that’s for the birds!

Now tell me: What party supplies would YOU create for a Pigeon Party?

Filed Under: book review, crafts, kids, personal Tagged With: #ThePigeonParty, craft, craft ideas, crafts for kids, The Pigeon Needs a Bath, The Pigeon Party

Family Fun Magazine Craft: Sweet Mice Valentine’s Day Treat Craft

February 11, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I know I’m throwing crafts at you guys but I also know that I’m not alone when it comes to doing Valentine’s Day cars with the kids. We just started doing ours last night. We started with pencils and store bought ones just in case we don’t have enough time to finish hand made ones.  This craft is straight from the FamilyFun Magazine.

sweetmice

“Sweet Mice”

Description:

Made of two Hershey’s Kisses and a heart-shaped set of ears, these tiny critters are almost too cute to eat.

Materials:

Ear and foot template (from familyfunmag.com)
Card stock paper
Hershey’s kisses
Tacky glue
Gray yarn
Googly eyes
Markers
Glue Dots

Directions:

Print the ear and foot templates on cardstock and cut out the shapes.

Remove the paper flags from two Hershey’s Kisses.

Fold the feet where shown on the template, then use tacky glue to sandwich the feet and ears between the Kisses.

Glue a 4-inch length of gray yarn to the underside of the back kiss.

Add googly eyes.

Attach the mouse a cheese-shaped piece of card stock with a glue dot, then write a note.

Suggested messages: Mice to Know You! You’re Really Mice!

Filed Under: crafts Tagged With: craft ideas, crafts, Family Fun, family fun magazine, familyfun, valentine, Valentine's Day

A Cute M&M Tic Tac Toe Game Valentine Craft

February 11, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

FamilyFun magazine is one of our favorite places to get craft ideas. It’s a great magazine that you can still have delivered to your house or you can view on-line. This craft here, even though candy isn’t my favorite Valentine idea, this one is unique because it provides kids a chance to play and not just eat candy because it’s there.

M&Mgame

“Game lover’s greeting”

Description:

M&M’s serve as a sweet stand-in for X’s and O’s in this packaged card-and-game combo. (For a sugar-free version, use buttons instead of candy).

Materials:

M&M’s
Card stock
Markers
Scissors
Clear treat bags
Tape

Directions:

Trim card stock into a 4- by 6-inch rectangle. Use a marker to draw a tic-tac-toe board in the center and add a message at the top, such as “U R A winner” or “I’m game to be your friend!”

Slide the card into a 4- by 9-inch clear treat bag (available at craft stores).

Add several M&M’s, providing an equal number of two colors.

Fold the top of the bag behind the card and seal it with tape.

Filed Under: crafts Tagged With: craft, craft ideas, Family Fun, familyfun

Guest Post: Glow In The Dark Crafts

September 12, 2012 by Momstart 18 Comments

Making crafts with children provides a wonderful opportunity for adults and kids to bond through learning and creating together. Making crafts glow in the dark is an easy way to add a touch of magic and fun to any project or night time activity.

imageNight Tag Turn a simple game of it-tag into a nighttime adventure with this easy craft. Get plain-white undershirts and have children write their names on the back using stencils using acrylic glow in the dark fabric paint. Then help them to decorate the rest of the shirts with glow in the dark star and planet stickers or with custom glowing paint designs to create their own special night tag "uniform." Though the uniforms are easy to make, nighttime it-tag requires careful adult supervision.

Make sure the play space is completely clear of potential toe-stubbing or tripping hazards, and, if playing inside, make sure walls are made clearly visible with lights or glow in the dark tape. Adults must vigilantly supervise the game to handle any situation that may arise.

imageGlow Jewelry The perfect activity for a girls’ slumber party, buy bags of glow in the dark beads have your kids make necklaces with them in the dark. Also include non-glowing beads of all kinds that your kids can decorate with glow in the dark paint. Adult supervision is required around children working with paint and beads to ensure nothing goes in their mouths.

© HowStuffWorks or their respective copyright holder. Image credits  » Glow Water Glow water is an easy craft that will make your house the most popular sleepover destination in town. Fill a largish container with water, then break a yellow highlighter open and soak its ink pad in the water for an hour or until it loses its color. Shine a black light on the water and watch it glow. The creative possibilities for this craft are endless.

Have kids take their shoes off and dance in it, fill the container with different colors of glow in the dark beads and make patterns, prepare ice cubes with different colors of highlighter and float them on the surface, fill a fountain with it or pour it through crazy straws and watch it go. The only limit is your imagination. Parents must supervise this activity to make sure kids don’t drink the water.

All glow in the dark craft materials needed for these crafts and many, many more are sold at discount prices at Beverlys.com.

Filed Under: crafts Tagged With: craft ideas, Glow In The Dark Crafts, Glow Jewelry, Glow water, Night tag

Disney Family Fun Halloween Edition: How To Make Salt Dough Ghosts

September 23, 2011 by Momstart 41 Comments

My newest favorite magazine is the Disney Family Fun magazine. It retails for 9.99 for 10 issues a year and it’s well worth 1.00 an issue because it is jam packed with fun valuable information you can use to have loads of fun with your family. Disney Publishing sent me a copy of the Halloween issue of Disney Family Fun and I’m in love with all the creative ideas, from fun recipes to crafts, to at home costume ideas to decorating the house. Your Halloween is sure to be “spooktacular.”  Geared for ages 8-9 but quite easy for parents to use as a resource for any age.

Check Out this fun porch decoration, it’s a milk jug/plastic pipe skeleton

image

For full details on making this skeleton you’ll need to check out Disney Family Fun Halloween Crafts. Also in the Halloween issue was this fun indoor decoration, Salt Dough Ghosts. You and your whole family will soon be  in the Halloween spirit with this craft. For an even spookier effect, add these easy-to-make Paper Bag Trees.

How to make Salt Dough Ghosts

Materials:

1 cup flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup water
Marker
Bowl
Markers

salt-dough-ghosts-halloween-craft-step-photoDirections:

Mix together the flour salt and water in the bowl.
Divide the dough into 6 even pieces and shape them into ghosts
Microwave the ghosts on a plate, one to two at a time for 20 – 30 second intervals until the dough is firm.
Let the ghosts cool before you allow children to play with them
Use a marker to make eyes and a mouth and any other decorations your kids might want to make.

 

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For this and many more creative ideas, check out Disney Family Fun.

We received a complimentary copy of Disney Family Fun.

Filed Under: review Tagged With: craft, craft ideas, Disney, Disney Family Fun, Family Fun, Halloween, review

Elmer’s Kids Craft Camp For Preschool & Toddlers Giveaway

July 21, 2011 by Momstart 439 Comments

Elmer’s contacted me and asked me to host a very small Kids Craft Camp. Everyone we know is of the Preschool and Toddler age because that is also where we are age wise. So thought and planning had to actually go into our little event. Toddlers need organization, or perhaps this mommy needs organization. Elmer’s actually helped quite a bit with the “organization” part. They sent me an already organized into individual sets camp kit:

IMG_2150

One Adult Kit

· CraftBond Gel Pens
· CraftBond Extra Strength Glue Stick
· CraftBond Tape Runner
IMG_2153· Painters Markers
· X-ACTO Zigzag and Scallop scissor packs
· X-ACTO 8” Scissors
· X-ACTO Punch

5 Kids Kits

· CraftBond Extra Strength Glue Stick
· CraftBond Glue Spots
· Project Popperz Markers
· Mini Bi-Fold Foam Board

Plus they sent me a gift card to get extra supplies needed.

 

 

IMG_2155 You know, stickers, colored paper, more stickers, kid safe markers, and some snacks. Can’t have kids camp without some snacks. Anyways, as I was saying, I still had to be even more organized, crafts with younger children is much easier on my soul if every step is “pre” done. So I had to pick a craft. We looked at three different craft ideas together before I made a choice. Based on what I had with me, we decided to make little summer photo books with the bi-fold foam boards.

IMG_2168IMG_2169IMG_2167

It’s best to have everything pre cut. Say paper shapes, little pieces of ribbon. We like to use pipe cleaners and yarn for a lot of our crafts and Zoe and Miles are becoming quite the experts at making a mess I mean, using glue! So getting all of the supplies ready before hand is a huge help in crafting with preschoolers.

Have smocks ready. We have a lot of baby bibs left over and they make really great smocks. They are the elastic kind and stretch around the neck, fitting most preschoolers.

Make sure your supplies are age appropriate. The packs that Elmer’s sent us were geared for 5 to 6 plus. My kids still get markers all over every piece of their unclothed body so I had to switch out the makers, but everything else was ok for their age. IMG_2159

Lastly, the key is for everyone to have fun. For me doing all the work ahead of time to premeasure everything for each child works best. You may come to my house and think it’s a disaster, but I can’t handle a mess. So whatever I can do to minimize it, I will. Using Elmer’s scissors and X-ACTO products made pre-assembly a breeze for me. I love all the different scissor shapes for scrapbooking.

IMG_2158

The kids decorated the outside front and back. Then, one thing that’s really nice about technology and having enough adults around is that you can take pictures digitally and just print them off right away and add them to the photo book. Then let the kids take the rest home and add their own photos of summer adventures and then they can have the artwork and photos in their room on display. It’s a fun and easy idea. I guess it’s more like a photo collage than a photo book, either way the kids loved the chance to make their own “books”.

 

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Trisha Lynn.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules. We received samples and a gift card to get supplies for our little camp.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: craft ideas, crafts, Elmer's, exacto, giveaway, summer camp

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